The number of global consumers citing climate change as a top-three environmental concern has risen from an average of 39% to 46% between 2021 and 2022, according to new global research from the second annual Mintel Consulting Sustainability Barometer, which features research and insight on consumers’ sustainability attitudes, behaviors, and purchase preferences across 16 countries.

In addition to climate change, concern over water shortages (up from 27% in 2021 to 31% in 2022) and food shortages (up from 17% to 23%) have made the most significant gains in terms of environmental priorities in the past 12 months as extreme weather events and war in Ukraine make these issues more common.

Climate change remains the world’s highest environmental priority with nearly half (46%) of consumers globally citing it among their top-three concerns. Air quality (e.g., exhaust fumes, industrial emissions) (36%) and plastic pollution (e.g., ocean plastic) (33%) complete the world’s top three environmental concerns; however, concerns about plastic pollution are down slightly from 36% in 2021.

Growing awareness is evident as just under three in five (58%) consumers globally agree that extreme weather events (e.g., flooding, heatwaves) in the country where they live encourage them to personally do more activities to protect the environment.

Helping the planet also seems to offer people a “feel-good factor” as an overwhelming 68% of consumers globally say doing things that benefit the environment makes them feel happy. While 38% say they want to show other people how they are doing good for the environment (e.g., by sharing on social media). A further 24% say they have researched their annual carbon footprint (e.g., with an online calculator or app).

While environmental priorities have shifted in the last year, consumers’ sustainable behaviors remain focused on simplicity and frugality: recycling packaging (59% in 2022 vs. 60% in 2021), meal planning to avoid food waste (53% in 2022 vs. 52% in 2021) and reducing clothes buying (50% in 2022 vs. 52% in 2021) remain the top global sustainable behaviors 2022-2021. Furthermore, global consumers’ optimism has stalled with 55% believing that if we act now, we still have time to save the planet, compared to 54% who said the same last year.

“The fact that concerns around climate change and water and food shortages are being prioritized ahead of previous preoccupations with waste and plastic pollution points towards the emergence of a more informed and hardened global consumer,” said Richard Cope, senior trends consultant, Mintel Consulting. “Soaring temperatures, extreme weather events and disruptions to food, water, and energy supply chains have given consumers a harsh reality check, hurting their health and wallets, and activating them in the process.”

Escalating activism, regulatory reaction, and the scale of both challenges and required solutions have educated consumers to help sniff out greenwashing campaigns, Cope added. “This means companies will increasingly need to assert—and clearly communicate—the truly impactful actions they are taking to reduce emissions, rather than simply offset them or dip their toes into populist ‘plastic free’ campaigns. This growing awareness around resource inputs and emission and waste outputs will also spell the end for ‘environmentally friendly’ as a credible marketing term.”

Mintel research shows the majority of consumers continue to see recycling and mitigating waste as important sustainable behaviors. “This tells us that simple, frugal behaviors are the most popular among consumers, which underlines the fact that brands’ sustainability initiatives need to deliver on value and convenience,” Cope said. “Looking ahead to 2023, expect to see resource (food, water, money) conservation ascend further up the agenda and the use of economizing technology refurbishers and urban peer access sharing economies to grow. For consumers, the connections between saving the environment, its resources and their money will strengthen.”